INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna — Two were arrested after members of the Laguna police swooped down on an alleged cyberporn hub in Los Baños town, the authorities on Wednesday said.
Supt. Vicente Cabatingan, police chief of Los Baños, said suspects Jhay-ar “Jaira” Carpio, 27, and Albert “Madamme Yvette” Ebron, 32, were arrested during the raid at a house in Barangay (village) Timugan around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. The police were armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Agripino Morga of the Regional Trial Court branch 32.
In a phone interview, Cabatingan said the police received an anonymous tip that the cybersex operations had been going on for already about a decade.
“The suspects start by befriending their victims, usually male Americans and Europeans, through Facebook,” Cabatingan said.
He said that once they gained their victims’ trust, the suspects would move the conversation to private chat rooms and offer lewd performances on cam themselves.
“Unknown to the victims, the sexual performances were being recorded. The suspects would then trace the victims’ spouses or relatives through Facebook and threaten their victims that they would send the videos if they do not pay up,” Cabatingan said. He said the suspects extorted as much as P70,000 from each victim.
The police seized two computer laptops, several cellphones, and wires for internet services.
The suspects were charged with violations of the Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act. SFM